title: Medical Spanish programs in the United States: a critical review of published studies and a proposal of best practices.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite an increasing demand for medical Spanish training, there has never been a comprehensive review of the methodology and outcomes of existing programs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article critically reviews studies published about medical Spanish education and proposes best practices for curriculum design and program research and evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors reviewed articles published on medical Spanish programs in the United States from 1977 to 2012, then appraised them for the presence of five factors commonly used in second-language acquisition (SLA) research.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 2 of 23 published studies of programs met all 5 criteria. There was high variability in design and infrequent use of valid and reliable outcome measures. No consensus emerged as to best practices. Instead, reported outcomes were often inadequate surrogate markers for desired educational outcomes in interactions with Spanish speakers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a significant need for effective medical Spanish programs based on solid SLA principles and research methods.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Modern Foreign Languages , Baylor University , Waco , Texas , USA.
authors.forename: Karol J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Hardin
authors.forename: D Mike
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hardin
mesh_terms: D003144:Communication Barriers; D003479:Curriculum; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D019303:Multilingualism; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014481:United States